The first forms of perspective-taking and empathy, and their differential roles in mediating early empathy and antisocial behaviors are investigated in children two to three years of age. Peer interactions and child-adult interactions were videotaped on three occasions in a home-like laboratory setting. Naturalistic and experimental measures of children's perspective-taking abilities, and mother's reports of children's inferential skills were obtained. Multiple assessments were also made of children's emotional responses (empathy) and of the different types of empathy and aggressive behaviors. The interdependencies of role-taking, affect, and behavioral measures will be examined. Perspective taking and empathy are also studied in relation to parents' role-taking skills and what caretakers teach their children about understanding the thoughts and feelings of other persons. Exploration of these different antecedents and correlates of children's early manifestations of positive and negative behavior patterns may further our knowledge of the motives that underlie different forms of altruism and aggression.